• Level Configuration
• Creating Custom Levels
• Fields
• awards_trophies
• computer
• emergency_control
• Random emergencies
• Controlled emergencies
• expertise
• gbv
• objects
• popn
• rooms
• staff
• staff_levels
• visuals and non-visuals
• win_criteria and lose_criteria
• New Variables
• town

Level Configuration

The original game had a system where one file contained the layout of the map (*.lX) another was a base configuration for all levels in one difficulty setting (e.g. easy00.sam) and finally one file for each level (easyXX.sam). Previously only the map file was used, but starting with beta 3 parts of these configuration files are also loaded. For example starting balance, available diseases and rooms, and competitor names. Though not all values from these files are desirable a few more will be checked in the future.

As of beta 5 CorsixTH uses the following system:

For all maps a base configuration is loaded from base_config.lua. This is done so that there is always some value for a given variable.

The campaign maps then load e.g. the FULL00.sam file, followed by FULLxx.sam. Finally, if present, an additional originalxx.level file is loaded from the levels folder.

Since the demo files lack any level configuration at all CorsixTH provides some configuration with demo.level.

Custom maps just load their .level file after the base_config file.

Since we don't want to create things more than once the same syntax is used in the new custom level system as was used in the original.

Creating Custom Levels

To create a new custom level the easiest way to start is to copy the file [CorsixTH directory]/Levels/example.level and give it a new name retaining the file ending. That file contains some general advice to what can be done at the moment.

Each line beginning with a %-sign are directives to use when loading the game, such as what the level is called and where to find the map file. Available commands:

• Name: What the level should be called (within quotes)
• LevelFile: The name of the binary map file to load. First the Levels directory of the

original game will be searched, and then the Levels directory of CorsixTH.

• LevelBriefing: A one line introduction text to the level, within quotes.

Note: The LevelBriefing may be long, but must be on one line in the file!

Every line that starts with a #-sign is a definition. After that comes that variable's name, and if it is a table its position in it, e.g. [10]. Then each consecutive .VariableName is a value name in that definition, and the numbers following these are the actual values. Example:

#objects[22].StartAvail.StartStrength.AvailableForLevel 1 9 1 Ultrascan

This is an object definition, namely the 22nd element in the objects table. There are three variables that define this object, StartAvail, StartStrength and AvailableForLevel. StartAvail is set to 1 (the first integer after the variables), which means that the object (and consequently the associated room) will be available from the start of the level. It will have strength 9, and it is actually available at all on this particular level. The rest of the row, in this case "Ultrascan" is ignored and can, as in this case, be a comment.

Note that object 22 in the objects list is defined to be the Ultrascan, not vice versa.

The following variables are used in both the original game and CorsixTH.

Fields

awards_trophies

Properties that define when the player wins trophies or awards, and how much one gets/loses. Currently only two trophies are implemented in CorsixTH, but many more will come in the future.

computer

Defines all possible AI opponents.

emergency_control

This field defines when emergencies should happen. There are two ways to do it. Either let random emergencies happen in random intervals or specify each emergency.

Random emergencies

If you just want some random emergencies now and then, write

#emergency_control[0].Random 0

If a little more control is desired you can instead write

#emergency_control[0].Mean.Variance X Y

where X and Y are mean and variance for a normal distribution. The amount of days between two consecutive emergencies is then roughly X +- Y days.

Controlled emergencies

If you want complete control over your emergencies this is the way to write:

#emergency_control[i].StartMonth.EndMonth.Min.Max.Illness.PercWin.Bonus

where i starts at 0.

Any number of such entries can be given.

expertise

This property is a table of all diseases in the game, or more exactly the ones which show up in the drug casebook in-game including diagnoses.

gbv

This is some kind of general property gatherer where many different things are defined.

objects

This table contains all objects in the game. Have a look in base_config.lua to see which element corresponds to which object.

popn

Handles the spawn rate of patients. Tells the system how many more patients should arrive a given month. The standard values for example:

#popn[0].Month.Change 0 4

#popn[1].Month.Change 1 1

results in an initial spawn rate of 4 patients per month, and then one more each month, i.e. 5 in February, 6 in March. An additional row

#popn[1].Month.Change 6 0

would halt the increase in June so that there would be 9 patients each month thereafter. Note that these values are global. The patients are then divided among the competing hospitals according to the market share.

rooms

All rooms are present here. Indexing starts at 7 for some strange reason. For a list of which room is which index, check out base_config.lua.

staff

A table where each element is a staff category.

staff_levels

Properties which specify the behaviour of the dialog where the player can hire new staff. May contain many elements.

visuals and non-visuals

Two tables which define which diseases the hospital may come across during the level. Note the difference between these tables and the expertise table even though they both regard diseases.

win_criteria and lose_criteria

Here winning and losing conditions are defined each table element is defined to specify the following possible crieria:

1 = Total reputation

2 = Total balance

3 = Percentage of all patients your hospital has treated

4 = Percentage people that have been cured

5 = Percentage people that have been killed

6 = Hospital value

New Variables

Furthermore we are as time goes by introducing some new definitions:

town